Shadowing Practice: Biggest Megaprojects in the World - Learn English Speaking with Video
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From the world's largest statue in the middle of nowhere in India, to an exact copy of Paris in China,
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and from this really unusual bridge to the biggest stolen building in the world, here are seven of the weirdest megaprojects in the world.
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This video was made possible by Morning Brew, and this is number 7.
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MSG Sphere in Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas is sometimes called the entertainment capital of the world, and the new MSG Sphere is a testament to that nickname.
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The Madison Square Garden Sphere is a new music and entertainment area which is currently under construction.
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The sphere will be 112 meters high and 157 meters wide at its widest point, making it the largest sphere in the world.
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The arena inside will have 17 ,500 seats for concerts, shows, and other entertainment experiences.
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It's meant to be entirely immersive and will use motion, sound, visuals, scent, and temperature to fully engage audience members.
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On the visual side, the MSG Sphere will have the world's largest LED screen,
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which at an insane resolution of 19 ,000 by 13 ,500 will wrap around the audience for a fully immersive experience.
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The exterior will be entirely made of screens as well, which will transform the Sphere into anything for people walking by.
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The MSG Sphere is built to be the largest, most immersive entertainment experience in Las Vegas.
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Ground broke in September of 2018, and construction on the basement began in July of 2019.
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The exterior of the Sphere was completed in June of 2021, and interior work began in August 2021.
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Officials project that the Sphere will open in 2023 for audiences wanting an amazing entertainment experience.
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In total, the MSG Sphere will most likely cost 1 .8 billion US dollars by the time it opens up.
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Next up on our list is the biggest statue in the world.
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Do you also think that it's difficult to consume relevant news these days with the constant distractions from social media?
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Instead of browsing aimlessly through Instagram Reels or TikTok, I now read the free newsletter from Morning Brew, this video's sponsor.
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It works very simple.
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Every morning, Morning Brew sends you a free newsletter with relevant and important topics about business, finance, and tech.
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Unlike traditional news, which is usually dry and boring, Morning Brew is informative, but also written in such a way that it's super easy to understand.
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They do a great job of summarizing complex topics, so it only takes five minutes to read.
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I noticed that after just a few weeks, I already had a much better understanding of the important events in the world.
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Best of all, it's completely free, and if you don't like it, you haven't lost a thing.
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It only takes 15 seconds to sign up, so click the link in the description or the icon in the top right corner to subscribe today.
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Not only is it a great way to stay up to date completely free, but also to support our channel.
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And this is number 6.
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The Statue of Unity This memorial statue is the largest statue in the world,
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reaching a total height of 240 meters above Gujarat, India.
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The statue depicts Valabhabai Patel, an important Indian historical figure.
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To give you an idea, this statue is 110 times taller than the average human.
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But how does it stack up to other megaprojects?
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It's almost six times as tall as the 38 -meter -tall statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro.
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and more than two and a half times as tall as the Statue of Liberty at 93 meters,
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and still much taller than the second tallest statue in the world, the Spring Temple Buddha in China.
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And for reference, here's the Statue of Unity in comparison to the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building.
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Each foot of the Statue of Unity is about 70 feet long.
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Considering that the average shoe size for men is about 10 .5 in the U .S., His shoe size would be an 80 in the US,
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which equals a 352 in the European Union.
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The statue is so tall that you can easily see it from 7 kilometers away.
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Inside are a museum, exhibition area, memorial gardens, and an observation gallery.
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Of the five zones inside the statue, three are accessible to the public.
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The other two are maintenance areas.
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Every day, about 15 ,000 tourists visit the statue.
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Although the color of the statue is reddish copper right now,
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the Statue of Unity will slowly turn green over the next 100 years due to copper oxidation.
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This is the same thing that happened to the Statue of Liberty, which used to have a copper color as well.
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The massive statue is meant to represent Vallabhabhai Patel, the first home minister of Independent India.
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He managed to unite all 562 princely states in pre -Independent India, which won him the honor of the statue and a memorial from his people.
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The Statue of Unity began construction in October of 2013 in the middle of protests from the surrounding villages.
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22 villages in the area complained
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that the construction of the statue would lead to environmental destruction and the displacement of several villages.
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Still, the construction continued.
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Three small models were created to perfect the design, which was revised each time until it was finally approved.
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The approved model was then scanned using 3D technology and sent to large factories in China.
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These factories would be responsible for casting the massive copper plates that would create the exterior of the statue.
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China had the only facilities big enough to perform this casting.
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The pieces were then sent overseas and assembled in a nearby warehouse where they waited to be lifted onto the statue.
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3 ,000 workers and 250 engineers worked together to make the Statue of Unity a reality.
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As far as other safety features, the statue features two 250 -ton mass dampers, just like a skyscraper.
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These dampers help to improve structural security.
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Because of these and other safety measures, the statue can withstand 180 km per hour winds and earthquakes of up to a 6 .5 category.
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The complete construction of the statue, including all of its safety measures, costs 27 billion rupees, or 422 million US dollars.
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It was opened on October 31, 2018, Patel's 143rd birthday.
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Number 5.
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Pont Jacques Chabin -Delmas In 2013, a new vertical lift bridge opened in Bordeaux, France.
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Built to increase traffic along the Garonne River, it's a feat of engineering and boasts a unique design as well.
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The Pont Jacques Chabang d 'Alma began construction in 2009 and includes four pylons with a 117 -meter lifting span between them.
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In total, the bridge spans 575 meters, making it the longest vertical lift bridge in Europe.
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The pylons house counterweights to help the span lift to their height required by river traffic.
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They also contain lights that change based on the water level.
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They glow blue for high tide and green for low tide.
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When building this bridge, officials knew they had to keep the river traffic flowing, even as they connected the Bacallan and Bastide areas,
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which are undergoing revitalization efforts.
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The bridge had to lay close to the water, and the proposed design would blend in with the surrounding quays.
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It only takes 12 minutes to raise the bridge span.
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The bridge is named for the former French Prime Minister and Mayor of Bordeaux, and will handle 43 ,000 vehicles per day.
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The total cost of this odd construction project was 160 million euros, or roughly 195 million US dollars.
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Number 4.
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Dubai Frame The largest picture frame in the world stands 150 meters above Zabil Park in Dubai.
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This glass, aluminum, and steel structure stands as a gateway between the past and the future,
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and stands to emphasize where Dubai has been and where it's going next.
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It is built to emphasize the luxury of Dubai.
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One side of the frame's observation deck looks out on the older parts of the city,
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while the other gives tourists a view of skyscrapers and the futuristic developments over the past 50 years, including the Burj Khalifa.
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It's a popular destination in Dubai.
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In 2019 alone, over 17 million people visited the frame.
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Construction on the frame began in 2013.
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The central glass observation deck was assembled on the ground, and then raised and settled between the towers.
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On the outside, laminate glass panels created a golden ring design which mimics the World Expo 2022 logo,
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an intentional advertisement since Dubai is hosting this event.
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The museum inside the frame looks back at the history of the United Arab Emirates.
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Visitors are transported through time and finally come to a virtual reality exhibit it called the Future of Dubai.
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Here, they observe a futuristic city based on wind power, complete with flying cars, drone deliveries,
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numerous new megaprojects, and many other technological advancements.
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The idea for the Dubai Frame was born in 2009 when ThyssenKrupp held a contest to design a retrospective elevator for Dubai.
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The goal was to design a unique elevator tower
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that would allow tourists to ride up and observe an aerial view of the city.
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Of the more than 4 ,600 architects who took part in the competition,
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Fernando Doniz came out on top and won with his design of the Dubai Frame.
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Doniz's structure is based on the Golden Ratio, or 1 to 1 .618.
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This ratio is an architectural and artistic standard for structural support and beauty.
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It's reflected in buildings such as the Great Pyramid at Giza and the Parthenon.
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The frame is a golden rectangle, an example of perfect design.
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ThyssenKrupp's competition had a number of other interesting entries, including Luo Siwei's Magic Mirror,
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a twisted circular design that would frame the Burj Khalifa in a perfect circle when looking from the right angle, as well as Hanbul Luz,
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the Flying Colors of Dubai, an elevator surrounded by colorful flakes.
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Fernando Doniz's design was used for the frame, but he claims that he was not compensated correctly.
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While he received the prize money from winning the competition, he says that Dubai never paid him the full amount for the realization of his project.
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Unfortunately for him, his lawsuit isn't going anywhere because Dubai functionally grants itself immunity to the dispute.
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Donis believes that his intellectual property rights were violated and that the frame is the biggest stolen building of all time.
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Number 3.
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Katara Towers in Lusail City Lusail City is a planned city in Qatar, meant to bring the best urban experiences to elite residents.
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When finished, Lusail City will include entertainment districts, shopping, marinas, resorts, and residential areas.
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The city will accommodate 250 ,000 residents at first, increasing to up to 450 ,000 residents with future developments.
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As of 2021, Lusail will be mostly complete, but parts are still in the works.
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With Qatar hosting the 2022
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World Cup, they are putting a lot of effort into showcasing their mega -projects and technological advances.
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However, it is also known that numerous human rights are violated and many workers are massively exploited in order to create these megaprojects.
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Unfortunately, this is still overlooked by numerous soccer fans and teams around the world.
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One of these megaprojects currently being built is the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which is supposed to be finished by the end of 2021.
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The Iconic Stadium will host only 10 soccer games before being reconfigured to a much smaller stadium.
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But one of the oddest projects in Lusail is the Katara Towers.
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These towers will feature a hotel, luxury apartments, and more.
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The design of these towers makes them strange, but there is a purpose.
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First of all, the Katara Towers' curving structure brings to mind a crescent moon, a symbol of hospitality in Qatar.
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The shape is also an iconographic representation of the dual swords on Qatar's national seal.
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The towers will become a beacon of hospitality and national pride once finished.
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The project was first proposed in 2014 and should be completed by the beginning of the World Cup in 2022.
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The total cost of constructing these unique towers is about 2 .2 billion QR, or 604 million US dollars.
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Number 2.
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Beijing Daxing International Airport Located on the border of Beijing and Langfang in the Hebei province,
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Beijing Daxing is the capital's second international airport.
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Nicknamed the Starfish for its unusual six -spoked design,
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this airport houses the world's largest single -building airport terminal with a size of roughly 97 soccer fields.
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At its peak, the new international airport would be able to handle up to 200 million passengers a year.
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If it reached this capacity, it would become the world's busiest airport.
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To help with this volume, the check -in process is handled by facial recognition.
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Passengers may not have to wait in long lines or speak with receptionists to board their flights,
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since the airport also plans to deploy robot -enabled customer service to help passengers as they move through the terminal.
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In 2012, Beijing's original airport, Beijing Capital International Airport was reaching its full passenger capacity.
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The original design was pushed to its limits, but the demand kept growing and growing.
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Passenger rates were rising at about 5 % per year consistently, and the old Beijing Capital Airport needed some relief.
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In December of 2014, construction began at Beijing Daxing International Airport.
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The initial proposition included nine runways and 600 ,000 new jobs for the residents of Beijing.
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It took five years for construction to complete.
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In that time, 11 villages were removed to make room.
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While the design of the airport looks very unique and interesting, it also has a purpose.
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The architect Zaha Hadid designed the airport for aesthetics and convenience.
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The central area's courtyard is an essential place for passengers and their family to meet.
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But the spoked design also allows travelers to reach their planes faster.
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It only takes about eight minutes to walk from the security checkpoint to any gate.
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In addition, the design makes it faster for passengers to get into the airport and out of it.
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The spokes make parking and retrieving planes faster as well, so it hopes to minimize the time spent in the airport.
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Instead of the nine projected runways, the airport currently only has five, four of which are civilian runways and one for military usage.
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Still, it can handle about 300 takeoffs and landings per hour due to the highly optimized design of the airport.
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Getting to the airport by train isn't a problem either.
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The Daxing Airport Express is a high -speed rail system that travels under Beijing Daxing.
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The underground rail system is supported by over 1 ,000 anti -shock cushions to reduce the vibration of the train, keeping passengers above unaware.
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If that wasn't enough, the airport also boasts an artificial lake that is sourced from rainwater.
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Six pools collect rainwater, storing it in an interior channel.
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After filtering and purification, the water is reused for the airport's aesthetic water features, including the lake.
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The airport served 16 million passengers in 2020, and that number is growing.
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It cost the government about 80 billion yuan, or 11 .4 billion US dollars.
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But what about the old airport?
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Beijing Capital International Airport is still in operation.
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Many high -capacity airlines are making the switch to Beijing Daxing, including most of China's SkyTeam Airport Alliance,
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Sharing the passenger load has given the old airport some much -needed relief.
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1. Tianduchang in China Imitation is usually the sincerest form of flattery,
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but this may not be the case for several of China's less original construction projects.
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There are many copycat towns and structures throughout
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China, including replicas of Venice, London, the White House, and more.
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People who live in these unique towns see them as a combination of the best things the world has to offer,
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and they can experience it all without leaving China.
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Tianducheng, or Sky City, is another of these copycat cities.
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Tianducheng is modeled after Paris, right down to the 108 -meter tall replica of the Eiffel Tower.
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China also copied some of the details of Paris like the lampposts on the street
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and the layout of the greenery surrounding the central tower.
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When it opened in 2007, it was meant to house 10 ,000 residents.
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However, as of 2013, only about 2 ,000 people lived there.
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Due to its isolated location just outside of Hangzhou, it was basically a ghost town.
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Nonetheless, residency has slowly increased in recent years, and more and more people are moving to the copycat city.
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New developments have been added to accommodate the higher demand for residency.
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A metro station is expected to open in Tianducheng in 2021, which should increase occupancy and help ease the isolation issue.
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In the future, China is shying away from these imitation projects.
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New bans introduced in 2020 limit these foreign building designs.
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They want to move away from imitating famous places and instead emphasize their own unique Chinese architecture.
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Which of these megaprojects was the weirdest in your opinion?
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Let us know in the comments down below.
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If you want to see more about similar projects, you can watch our video about the world's weirdest looking skyscrapers.
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Thank you for watching, and we'll see you in the next video.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Biggest Megaprojects in the World”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: statue, airport, design, Dubai, frame. This video has 48 sentences and 2887 words to shadow. The speech runs for 18:22. The speaker talks at a natural 157 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| statue noun | /ˈstæt͡ʃu/ | A three-dimensional work of art, usually representing a person or animal, usually created by sculpting, carving, molding, or casting. |
| sphere noun | /sfɪɚ/ | A surface in three dimensions consisting of all points equidistant from a center. . |
| passenger noun | /ˈpæs.ɪn.d͡ʒɚ/ | One who rides or travels in a vehicle, but who does not operate it and is not a member of the crew. |
| copper noun | /ˈkɒpə/ | A reddish-brown metallic chemical element (symbol Cu) with the atomic number 29; also, the metal made up of this element. |
| observation noun | /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/ | The act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance) |
| surround verb | /səˈɹaʊnd/ | To encircle something or simultaneously extend in all directions. |
| soccer noun | /ˈsɑk.ɚ/ | Association football. |
| deck noun | /ˈdɛk/ | Any raised flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop. |
| memorial noun | /məˈmɔːɹi.əl/ | Something, such as a monument, by which someone or something is remembered. |
| spin verb | /spɪn/ | To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction. |
| elevator noun | /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/ | Anything that raises or uplifts. |
| runway noun | /ˈɹʌnweɪ/ | A defined, narrow section of land or an artificial structure used for access. |
| exterior adjective | /ɪkˈstɪɹiɚ/ | Relating to the outside parts or surface of something. |
| emphasize verb | /ˈɛm.fə.saɪz/ | To stress, give emphasis or extra weight to (something). |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sign up verb | To add a name to the list of people who are participating in something. |
| wrap around verb | To move (text or other content) to the beginning of the next line when unable to fit it at the end of the current line. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was made · is sometimes called · is built |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | area which is · well, which will · news, which is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't lost · has been · has given |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as isn't, don't, haven't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: observation /ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃn̩/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, ratio /ˈɹeɪ.ʃoʊ/, luxury /ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi/, shoe /ˈʃu/
- Long words — get the stress right: memorial /məˈmɔːɹi.əl/, elevator /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, technological /ˌtɛk.nəˈlɑ.dʒɪ.kəl/, accommodate /əˈkɑməˌdeɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like statue, sphere, passenger.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.